IT 104 Spring 2021 Syllabus The Department of Information Sciences and Technology The Volgenau School of Information Technology & Engineering George Mason University 4400 University Drive Fairfax. VA 22030-4444 IT 104:009 Introduction to Computing Course Syllabus Spring 2021 Professor Ryshell Henderson Instructor Email Address Rhender8@gmu.edu Office Hours Virtual Hours – by appointment Office Location Online, Blackboard Collaborate Graduate Teaching Assistant Bhavya Yalavarthi Email byalavar@gmu.edu Office Hours Virtual Hours – listed under weekly modules and by appointment Office Location Online, Blackboard Collaborate Blackboard Tech Support Email: courses@gmu.edu Phone: 703 993 3141 KHPContent Support Ebook Support https://gmu.khpcontent.com/eform/submit/support-form vitalsource@kendalhunt.com Course Format IT 104, DE course is conducted online through Blackboard. The course is divided into learning modules where you will find instructions for completing reading assignments, quizzes, and two projects on Blackboard. All the course work is completed at student’s location. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. 1 of 8 IT 104 Spring 2021 Syllabus Course Description Introduction to Computing (3:1:2) This course, using both lecture and laboratory practice, introduces students to basic computer concepts in hardware, software, networking, computer security, programming, database, e-commerce, decision support systems, and current developments in 3-D printing, virtualization, and Siri-like systems. Additional lectures examine social, legal, ethical issues including privacy, intellectual property, health concerns, green computing, and accessibility. Students learn techniques to search, evaluate, validate, and cite information found online. Hands-on lab includes spreadsheets, databases, presentation, HTML 5, CSS, cybersecurity, blogs, wiki, and mobile app development. Prerequisites Knowledge of high school algebra. Mason Core Course Information technology and computing can significantly augment humans' ability to produce, consume, process, and communicate information. Thus, students need to understand ways to use such technology to enhance their lives, careers, and society, while being mindful of challenges such as security, source reliability, automation, and ethical implications. These factors have made it essential for students to understand how to effectively navigate the evolving technological landscape. IT courses offered in the majors may focus on disciplinary applications and concerns of information technology. IT courses meet the following learning outcomes: 1. Students will understand the principles of information storage, exchange, security, and privacy and be aware of related ethical issues. 2. Students will become critical consumers of digital information; they will be capable of selecting and evaluating appropriate, relevant, and trustworthy sources of information. 3. Students can use appropriate information and computing technologies to organize and analyze information and use it to guide decision-making. 4. Students will be able to choose and apply appropriate algorithmic methods to solve a problem. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. 2 of 8 IT 104 Spring 2021 Syllabus Objectives After successful completion of the course, the students will be able to – • Understand basic functions of computer hardware and software components including operating system functions • Identify various networks (LAN, WAN, intranet), topologies (ring, bus, star), protocols (TCP/IP, SMTP, POP & IMAP, HTTP & HTTPS, DNS), media types (wire pair, coaxial cable, fiber optics, microwave, radio frequency, infra-red), and network hardware (router, hub, gateway) • Know how to use search techniques (inclusion, exclusion, wildcards, phrase, Boolean search), evaluate the information found on Web pages (chat rooms, newsgroups, RSS, podcasting sites, Wikipedia, blogs), and cite electronic and printed references • Understand computer viruses, biometric devices, encryption technique, digital signature, email filtering, firewall, and precautions on Web • Understand ethical issues regarding copyright, software licenses, information privacy, intellectual property, content filtering, Spam, and laws enacted with regards to SPAM, children’s protection on Web, electronic communication, and electronic theft • Understand IT impact on society (health and environment) • Design and create web pages using HTML 5 • Create blogs and wikis • Use different application programs like spreadsheet and database management systems • Understand the fundamentals of system analysis, life cycle of a program development and programming languages, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and cloud computing. Credit by Examination Students who think they already know the material in IT 104 should read the information on Credit by Examination posted on http://ist.gmu.edu/students/current-students/course-creditwaiver-options/ web site. Textbooks There are two required textbooks for the course. 1. Kendal/Hunt Introduction to Computer Information Systems, e-book 4th edition. ISBN: 978-1-5249-9182-1. Active Learning Lab. Available at https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/introduction-computer-information-systems-1# 2. Fundamentals of Computing, 5th edition. ISBN 9781792449277. Available at https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/fundamentals-computing-testing# Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. 3 of 8 IT 104 Spring 2021 Syllabus Grading Grades will be awarded in accordance with the GMU Grading System for undergraduate students. See https://catalog.gmu.edu/policies/academic/grading/ under Grading System for more information. The grading scale for this course is: 97 – 100% A+ Passing 93 – 96% A Passing 90 – 92% APassing 87 – 89% B+ Passing 83 – 86% B Passing 80 – 82% BPassing 77 – 79% C+ Passing 73 – 76% C Passing 70 – 72% CPassing* 60 – 69% D Passing* 0 – 59% F Failing * Grades of "C-" and "D" are considered passing grades for undergraduate courses. However, a minimum grade of "C" is required in the BSIT program for any course that is a prerequisite for one or more other courses. This course is a prerequisite for several courses in BSIT program – see https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/engineering/informationsciences-technology/informationtechnology-bs/#admissionspoliciestext for more information on those courses. Raw scores may be adjusted by the Instructor to calculate final grades. Final grades will be determined based on the following components: Item Points Percent Course discussions 100 10% Quizzes (conducted online on KHPContent) 100 10% Project Part I (Research Paper) 150 15% Project Part II (Web site) 150 15% Labs 150 15% Midterm and Final Exam Practice Tests (conducted online on KHPContent) 50 5% Midterm Exam (conducted online on KHPContent) 150 15% Final Exam (conducted online on KHPContent) 150 15% Total Points 1000 100% Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. 4 of 8 IT 104 Spring 2021 Syllabus Course Discussions There will be ten required course discussions throughout the semester. Each discussion is worth 10 points. You are expected to put up your original post first and then respond to one other post with a constructive feedback. Project Part I and II See the project page in the lecture Blackboard folder for details. Quizzes There will be 10 quizzes throughout the semester. Each quiz is worth 10 points. Quiz will be revealed to you in the beginning of the scheduled learning module and you are required to take the quiz by its due date. There is no make up for missed quizzes. Refer to the schedule to know quiz due dates and times. Lab Schedule Labs and their due dates are contained in the schedule. Midterm and Final Practice Tests Midterm and final practice tests are conducted online using assessment tool. You will be given five attempts to take each of these tests. The best of all your attempts will be considered for your grade. No makeups for missed practice tests for any reason. Exams (midterm and final) Midterm and final exams are conducted online and you are allowed to use your book and notes to take the exam. However, you are not allowed to search online or take help from your friends or family members. No makeups for missed exams for any reason. Final grades will be posted to PatriotWeb, which is the only vehicle for students to obtain those grades. A student with a "hold" on his/her Patriot Web account will be unable to access final grades until the hold has been removed by the Registrar. Software You are required to have the following programs to complete your assignments in the course – 1. Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) on Windows operating system 2. Chrome browser Please note, that some course assignments are not compatible with Mac operating system. If you do not have Windows operating system installed, be sure you are able to Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. 5 of 8 IT 104 Spring 2021 Syllabus log in and used Mason provided Virtual Citrix Lab (https://its.gmu.edu/service/citrixvirtual-lab ). If you are unable to login, please contact ITS support center at 703 993 8870. Discussion Board Conduct Online discussion board is the medium we will be using to communicate with the instructor and other fellow students. In postings, students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is conducive to learning. Please read the 10 core rules of netiquette. Any student who does not follow the 10 core rules of netiquettes and negatively impacts the opportunity for other students to learn will be warned – if disruptive communication continues, the student will be asked to leave the class. Important Dates Spring 2021 semester calendar is available on the Office of the University Registrar’s web site. Religious Holidays A list of religious holidays is available on the University Life Calendar page. Any student whose religious observance conflicts with a scheduled course activity must contact the Instructor at least 2 weeks in advance of the conflict date in order to make alternative arrangements. Attendance Policy Students are expected to attend each class, to complete any required preparatory work, and to participate actively in lectures, discussions, and exercises. As members of the academic community, all students are expected to contribute regardless of their proficiency with the subject matter. Students are expected to make prior arrangements with Instructor if they know in advance that they will miss any class and to consult with the Instructor as soon as possible if they miss any class without prior notice. Any student who expects to miss more than two class sessions is strongly advised to drop the course and take it in a later semester when he/she can attend every class. Departmental policy requires students to take exams at the scheduled time and place, unless there are truly compelling circumstances supported by appropriate documentation. Except in such circumstances, failure to attend a scheduled exam will result in a score of zero (0) for that exam, in accordance with Mason policy on final exams. Students should not make travel plans or other discretionary arrangements that conflict with scheduled classes and/or exams. If the University is closed due to Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. 6 of 8 IT 104 Spring 2021 Syllabus weather or other unforeseen conditions, final exams may be rescheduled – students are strongly advised not to make plans that would prevent them from attending exams that may be rescheduled during the entire exam period. Classroom Conduct Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is conducive to learning, as directed by the Instructor. Any student who negatively impacts the opportunity for other students to learn will be warned – if disruptive behavior continues, the student will be asked to leave the classroom. Communications GMU e-mail is the preferred method of communication. Students must use their MasonLive email account to receive important University information, including messages related to this class. Federal privacy law and GMU policy require that any communication with a student related in any way to a student's status be conducted using secure GMU systems. Privacy Instructors respect and protect the privacy of information related to individual students. Instructors will take every possible measure to protect the privacy of each student's submissions, scores and grades. Disability Accommodations Any student with a disability of any kind is strongly encouraged to register with The Office of Disability Services (ODS) (703.993.2474) as soon as possible and take advantage of the services offered. Accommodations for disabled students must be made in advance – ODS cannot assist students retroactively, and at least one week's notice is required for special accommodations related to exams. Any student who needs accommodation should contact the Instructor during the first week of the semester so the sufficient time is allowed to make arrangements. Honor Code All members of the Mason community are expected to uphold the principles of scholarly ethics. The GMU Honor System and Code will be strictly enforced in this course. Any use of the words or ideas of another person(s) without explicit attribution that clearly identifies the material used and its source in an appropriate manner is plagiarism and will not be tolerated. Blackboard’s SafeAssign tool is used to detect plagiarism in any work submitted by students for this course. For this course, the following requirements are specified: Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. 7 of 8 IT 104 Spring 2021 Syllabus All assessable work is to be prepared by the individual student, unless the Instructor explicitly directs otherwise. The individual student for this course must newly create all work for this semester. Any usage of work developed for another course, or for this course in a prior semester, is strictly prohibited without prior approval from the instructor. Students may seek assistance with assigned work (and are encouraged to do so if they feel the need), provided the directions for the assigned work do not prohibit such assistance and assistance is acknowledged in the submitted work, clearly identifying the person(s) giving assistance and the nature of the assistance given. Available Resources VSE Peer Mentoring: Peer mentoring, https://volgenau.gmu.edu/about/currentstudentresources/find-tutor WRITING CENTER: A114 Robinson Hall; (703) 993-1200; http://writingcenter.gmu.edu UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES “Ask a Librarian” http://library.gmu.edu/ask COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES (CAPS): (703) 993-2380; http://caps.gmu.edu INFOGUIDES: http://infoguides.gmu.edu/it104 Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. 8 of 8
